Fairy Tail's New Face
by ValkyrieDraco
Summary: A new mage shows up out of nowhere. What are his intentions? Will he spell disaster for the mages of Fairy Tail? Or will he be their salvation? Set just before the Tenrou Island arc. WARNING: There will be a OC x Lucy pairing. Sorry, NaLu fans. NaLi fans, however, rejoice, for this will contain NaLi. And JerZa and GaLe and GruVia, of course. R&R, if you would.


**A/N: So, this story marks my return to the world of writing/publishing fanfiction. Fo r those of you who read my other fics, including The Dragon Slayer Guild and The Celestial Dragons of Fairy Tail, I will be updating those stories sometime soon. I hope to establish a regular updating schedule sometime, but for now it will be rather sporadic. Anyway, here's the first chapter of my new story: Fairy Tail's New Face.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. If I did, this would not be fanfiction.**

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Lucy Heartfilia, Celestial Mage of Fairy Tail, tipped back the last bit of her drink and swallowed it. With a sigh, she put the glass down on the bar and swung off the stool, making her way out the door of the Fairy Tail guild hall. It was late at night, and most of the mages had left the guild in favor of their beds, aside from most of the core members and Mirajane, who was tending the bar as always. The very same white-haired mage called a goodnight at the retreating back of the blonde as she took Lucy's glass to wash later. The Celestial Mage responded with a carefree wave of farewell as the doors swung shut behind her.

The young woman meandered down the road, not caring that she swerved all over the place. There was no one out this late, and the moonlit streets were deserted. The sky was almost pitch black, illuminated only by the light of the stars and the almost full moon, surrounded by a halo of clouds that diffused its light, making it softer and wider spread. A light breeze wound its way through the gaps between the buildings, gently caressing Lucy's face and softly tousling her long blonde hair. The air was neither warm nor cool, instead, it was the perfect temperature. It was a picture-perfect night, and she was determined to enjoy it to its fullest.

It was such a shame that such a thing couldn't last. Lucy gasped brokenly and doubled over, stumbling to a stop. A searing pain had torn its way through her abdomen, robbing her of her breath. She couldn't even scream as she fell to the ground, clutching her stomach.

Atop the spire of Kardia Cathedral, a man's eyes snapped open. He had been crouching, like a gargoyle, monitoring the sounds of the city. He heard the soft thud of a person falling to the ground. He heard the broken gasping and the tortured breathing of a person desperately struggling to remain conscious, despite intense pain. He heard the panicked, hazy, broken thoughts of a person who didn't know what was happening to them and experiencing suffering so intense, they couldn't focus. All of these sounds came from the same person.

Fixing the origin point of the sounds in his mind, the man straightened up, somehow balancing on the very point of the spire, then stepped forward and fell like a stone. Only moments before he hit the ground, the man conjured up wings, seeming to be made of a strange, purple crystal, with the merest flicker of thought. These wings caught the wind and, instead of falling, the man was now flying forward at tremendous speed. He closed his eyes, navigating the alleyways with only his hearing, making his way to where the sounds came from. He noticed that, although he was drawing nearer to the origin, the sounds were growing fainter. He interpreted this as the person losing their battle with unconsciousness. The man allowed himself to drift closer to the ground as he raced along the broad street, rapidly approaching the person.

Lucy struggled to keep her eyes open, somehow knowing that if they closed, it would be all over, but she was losing this fight. The insidious tendrils of unconsciousness were worming their way through her system, mirroring the inexorable advance of the tentacles of pain spreading through her body. Her eyelids were growing heavier with every labored breath she drew. The last thing she saw before her eyelids fluttered shut and she lost the battle with unconsciousness was a human figure landing, batlike, at her side. Then her head lolled to the side and her arms, previously tightly clenched around her midsection, fell limply at her sides.

The man swore under his breath, running a hand through his long, dark hair. He then fell to his hands and knees over the lifeless body of the young woman. Closing his eyes, he brought his nose close to her skin, sniffing intently. He then sniffed around her mouth, which was hanging limply half-open. The man swore again as he caught a whiff of an acrid stench emanating from her mouth.

A sudden cry of "HEY! YOU! Get away from Lucy!" startled the mage, prompting him to look up and see a pink-haired man, fist alight in flames, lunging towards him. The man barely even thought, slamming a wall of solid ice up in front of the fire mage, stopping him dead.

"Stay back. You do not know what you are dealing with. I do. You are a mage, correct?" the man asked, then proceeded without allowing the other man to answer. "Someone is out to get your friend. She ingested a potent poison, which was mixed with her drink. The perpetrator may be along to finish the job. Keep guard and make sure they can't." he ordered. The pinkette looked stunned, then nodded once, turning away from the other man and sniffing the air.

With consummate gentleness, the man placed his hands on either side of the girl's face, closed his eyes and touched his forehead to hers. Instantly, his senses deadened and his world turned black.

' _Are you particularly attached to these clothes you are wearing?'_ he asked in a mental voice that echoed strangely. His words sparked a reaction in the black world around him, and the merest tendril of thought reached him, saying ' _No...'_

The man drew in a heavy breath as he drew himself out of the girl's mind, lifting his head and opening his eyes. He then nodded once and sat back on his heels, hovering his hands just inches above the blonde's body, noting what she was wearing. Grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt. Pushing down any hint of embarrassment at what he was about to do, he conjured a cloud of purple gas around each of his hands and touched them to the girl's shirt. Instantly, the gas spread over the shirt, causing it to dissolve completely. The cloud of gas brushed the sweatpants, causing the same rapid reaction to consume the article of clothing. The girl was now only wearing sandals and black undergarments.

The man nodded again, then allowed the gas to disperse from around his hands. The pinkette, somehow sensing that something was off, looked over and shouted again.

"HEY! WHAT THE CRAP DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" he shouted, eyes practically bugging out of his head. The man looked over, shaking his head in disgust.

"If you want me to remove the poison from your friend's body, then allow me to do my work unmolested." he said in an icy tone. Taken aback the venom in the other man's voice, the fire mage unconsciously took a step back, face showing the slightest traces of fear. Satisfied, the man returned his focus to the girl's bare flesh. In his eyes, purple tendrils criss-crossed her body, tracing the path of her veins. The man once again held his hands above the girl, this time down by her feet.

The man then closed his eyes and began a strange wave-like motion with his hands, seeming to push something upwards towards the girl's head. He repeated this motion over and over again, slowly moving up her body. The pink-haired man watched the other man's movements out of the corner of his eye, seeming to be nervous. Once the focus of the man's motion reached her stomach, the man seemed to switch focus, swaying side-to-side with his hands moving over her arms and upper torso. After a few minutes the man began a downward wave, seeming to push something down from the girl's chest into her stomach.

Then, suddenly, the strange movement ceased, and the man opened his eyes. He looked downwards, at her stomach, and noted that the purple lines had receded into a dense, purple knot in the pit of her stomach. He nodded once, then looked over at the pinkette.

"This woman isn't your girlfriend, is she?" he asked. The fire mage looked around, startled and surprised by the question.

"N-no…" he stammered. The other man nodded once, seeming satisfied.

"Good. Then you won't mind me doing this." he said, then bent down and slammed his mouth into the girl's. The pinkette's eyes practically popped out of his head, and he quickly looked away, face reddening.

The other man closed his eyes, focusing on the knot of poison in the girl's stomach, concentrating on pulling up through her throat and out of her mouth.

Lucy abruptly felt the heavy darkness pressing against her consciousness begin to recede. The oppressive weight that had been pinning her down, preventing her from moving, begin to lighten. Suddenly, she felt capable of opening her eyes, and she did so. The first thing she saw was hair so dark a shade of purple, it appeared to be black where it did not catch the light of the moon hovering over her face. The curtain of hair shifted, and a dark blue streak swung into her vision. The streak was so dark a shade of blue, Lucy guessed that it, too, would appear to be black when it didn't catch the light.

Suddenly, she had experienced a sensation she could only describe as the inverse of pins and needles as the sense of touch returned to her. Overwhelmed by the almost painful sensation, it was several moments before she noticed the almost pleasurable sensation concentrated in her face. Specifically, her lips. Her eyes widened as she realized what was going on. Some guy was kissing her!

Before she could even react, the man withdrew, and Lucy saw something that made her eyes widen even further. A thread of some kind of purple liquid connected her mouth with his. Unexpectedly, she felt the end of the thread slip from between her lips, and the liquid quickly receded into the man's mouth, waggling back and forth in a manner reminiscent of a spaghetti noodle being slurped into someone's mouth. She watched as the man sucked the rest of the liquid into his mouth, close his lips, and swallow.

The man emitted a loud sigh, then opened his eyes and looked downwards. Lucy's breath caught in her throat when she saw that his eyes were purple, with deep shades of amethyst intermingling with shades of lighter lavender. He leaned closer, and she saw that his eyes were shot through with streaks of bright aquamarine, sapphire and cyan.

"So, you're awake. That's good." the man was saying. Lucy started as she realized that he was talking to her. She nodded dumbly, then realization of what had happened to her kicked in.

"You… You kissed me…" she said quietly. The man grimaced, then looked away. Lucy felt strong arms sliding under her frame, lifting her into the air bridal-style.

"I apologize for that. It was the easiest and quickest way to remove the poison from your body." he said after a moment, looking back down at her with his Tyrian eyes, and Lucy quickly got lost in them, tracing the patterns found within. Suddenly, the man smiled with such tenderness, Lucy's breath caught in her throat yet again.

"You're gonna be alright. You're a Fairy Tail mage, yes? I'll take you to your guild." he said, and Lucy could only nod dumbly for the second time that night. At her confirmation, the man looked up and took off running in the direction of the Fairy Tail guild hall. They arrived at the building within minutes, and the man kicked open the doors with a loud _crash_ , startling the members within. They were further shocked when they looked around and saw the almost-naked form of Lucy in the arms of an unfamiliar man.

"Take me to your infirmary." he said in a tone that almost lacked inflection, a stony look on his face that made a small, blue-haired girl squeak in fear. This very same girl, however, sprang to her feet and motioned for the man to follow her. The mage strode quickly through the guild hall with the grace most would think only belonged to dancers. Within seconds, the man had reached the infirmary and laid Lucy gently on a bed, covering her body with the sheets. He then turned to the young girl and said, not unkindly, "Find your master and bring him here. There is something I need to speak to him about. And if you happen to run into a pink-haired fire mage, tell him his friend is safe in Fairy Tail's infirmary." The girl nodded once at the orders, then scurried out of the infirmary. The man took hold of the back of a large armchair and spun it around with no discernable effort to face Lucy's bed and sat in it. He folded his hands in front of him, placing the tips of his upraised index fingers against his lips and resting his elbows on the armrests of the chair. His violet eyes quickly caught Lucy's own chocolate orbs, piercing her with a gaze so intense, Lucy found herself quivering. The emotion in his eyes was very different from the gentleness that had graced his features when he lifted her in his arms.

"W-what are you looking at me like that for?" she stammered nervously. At these words, the harshness receded from the man's face, replaced with soft laugh lines. The man chuckled lightly, setting Lucy's nerves at ease.

"I was merely pondering something. You must be still feeling weak, however. I'll be right back." he said, standing and swiftly withdrawing from the small room, leaving Lucy alone with her thoughts. These thoughts were of how his smile and deep, gravely voice could affect her so much. A few minutes later, the man returned with an empty glass. For the first time, Lucy got a good look at how he was dressed. He wore a short haori, made of silk dyed a deep Imperial purple. As he moved, it caught the light, and she saw that there were threads of varying shades of blue woven into the purple. The haori was fastened at the waist with a broad leather belt, the color of which was a rich royal blue. His legs were clad in baggy black pants, gathered at the bottoms with what looked to be bandages wrapped around the legs, ending mid-shin.

While Lucy was busy inspecting the man's outfit, she didn't notice what he was doing with the glass. She was, therefore, surprised when he held it out to her, filled with a clear fluid. Lucy was confused, as she thought the glass had been empty. Where did he get the liquid?

The man chuckled at her hesitation, saying "It's only water. Go ahead and drink it, it'll make you feel better." Lucy tentatively took the glass and took a cautious sip, discovering that it was, indeed, water. However, there was the faintest hint of something that made her lips and tongue tingle. She held the glass at arm's length, lips wrinkling.

The man chuckled again. "Alright, I sort of lied. It's not just water. I added something a little extra. But I promise it'll make you feel better if you drink it." he said. Somewhat reassured by his words, Lucy took a big gulp, gasping at the warm feeling that shot through her veins as she swallowed. She instantly felt stronger, the feeling of weakness she had been experiencing ever since she came to receding. Emboldened by this sensation, Lucy drained the glass to the last drop. When it was empty, she sat back with a happy sigh. Yet again, the man chuckled, taking the glass from her hands. "I told you it would make you feel stronger."

At that exact moment, a diminutive old man and the pinkette from earlier walked into the infirmary. The old man wore a white tunic with the Fairy Tail symbol on the left collar and black pants which was covered by a formal white coat with white fur around the edge and the Ten Wizard Saints' symbol at the back. The pinkette wore a sleeveless, gold trimmed, black waistcoat, left open and untucked, exposing his bare chest, white knee-length trousers, a thick black wristband on his left wrist, black open-toed sandals and a scale-patterned scarf.

"Now, what's this all about? And who are you?" asked the old man while the pink-haired mage rushed to the side of his friend. The dark-haired man bowed low in the direction of the master of Fairy Tail before replying.

"Greetings, Master Makarov. My name is Hozuki Soretsu, also known as either the Amethyst Shadow or the Sapphire Shadow, depending on who you talk to." he said as he straightened up. Makarov looked a little taken aback by the titles, but made no comment. "This girl was poisoned with a very potent toxin that causes unconsciousness five minutes after ingestion. Someone spiked her drink with it, obviously hoping to come along later and pick up her body." Hozuki continued. All of the other mages in the room looked shocked at his assumption that someone wanted to kidnap Lucy.

"Unfortunately, the poisoner got their proportions wrong. The poison was so concentrated within the drink, it would have killed her. If I hadn't made it to her side when I did, you'd be burying her." Hozuki said in a blunt tone. "I suppose I should explain how I removed the poison from her body. Using the powers granted to me by the Poison Dragon, Venelogia, I consumed the poison from within her body. Yes, that is correct. I am the Poison Dragon Slayer." A moment's silence followed his last statement, before the pinkette spoke up.

"No you aren't. That weird guy I fought, Cobra, is." he said in a vaguely cheerful tone that set Hozuki's teeth on edge. The master, who had appeared to be deep in thought, now spoke to the fire mage.

"Peace, Natsu. I believe he is telling the truth. He claims to be raised by a dragon, a claim that Cobra did not make." he rumbled. At these words, Hozuki looked thoughtful.

"This Cobra must be an artificial Dragon Slayer. A so-called 'Second Generation' Dragon Slayer." he said. "Whereas those who are taught by a dragon are known as First Generation Dragon Slayer."

"There's another thing I have to tell you." Hozuki said after a moment's hesitation. "After Venelogia left me, I was kidnapped by a group of mage-scientists working for a dark guild named Scarlet Chaos. They experimented on me extensively for several years. One of these experiments involved implanting me with a Dragon Lacrima, granting me the powers of a Second Generation Water Dragon Slayer. Unfortunately for them, when the Lacrima was activated, the magic power overwhelmed me and caused my own to erupt in a massive explosion of water and toxic gas. The scientists didn't survive the blast. Not one of them. The magic that had flooded mys system rendered me unconscious, leaving me in the ruins of the lab. When I awoke, I was in a different building, dressed in all-black clothing, with a strange device on my ankle. Soon afterwards, a dark man approached me, declaring that he was the guild master of Scarlet Chaos. He then told me that the device was a Lacrima-powered device that would shock me unconscious if I didn't obey his orders, and also would not allow me to use my powers without his permission. Faced with this alternative, I complied with his commands. He turned me into his personal assassin, a killing machine, knowing of my Poison Dragon Slayer powers. For seven years, I worked as a member of Scarlet Chaos, assassinating high-profile targets without leaving a trace. The guild members praised my work, calling me the 'Amethyst Shadow' after the distinctive color of my magic. The guild master, Klyn Crimson, who knew of my secondary powers, also bestowed upon me the moniker of 'Sapphire Shadow', referencing the signature color of my Water Magic. After the seven years, my magic grew to be too powerful for the device to contain, and it shattered. Knowing I was now free, I used my powers to massacre the members of Scarlet Chaos. The guild master somehow escaped my vengeance, and remains at large. I fear what plans he may concoct and put into action while he remains in this world." Hozuki said with a look on his face and a tone in his voice of someone telling something extremely unpleasant. At his tale of horror and woe, the other mages looked alternately shocked and sympathetic. At the end of his narrative, Hozuki placed his head in his hands and released a shaky sigh. Lucy leaned over and put a small hand on his shoulder, trying her best to convey comradeship and support through that simple touch.

"What a horrible life." she said, accurately summing up her fellow Fairy Tail members' thoughts. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." Hozuki looked up, appreciation of this gesture apparent in his face.

"Thank you." he said. He then stood up and turned to Makarov. "Master Makarov, I have a request to make of you." Makarov looked up at him, then nodded.

"What is it, my child?" he said. Hozuki hesitated slightly before replying.


End file.
